Summary of Part 1: Stjarnavetr has been exiled from her home realm of Vanaheim and has come to Asgard by the mercy of Odin Allfather and Queen Frigga. She is entrusted by Queen Frigga to further instruct the youngest prince, Loki, in seidr, the magic of the Vanir. Stjarnavetr tries her best to deal successfully with the arrogant and impetuous prince of Asgard, while Loki tries to coax from his new seidr tutor the dark secret of why she was exiled from Vanaheim. In the process, the two come to find solace in each other’s company, and Stjarnavetr must confront her feelings about Loki, and the horrors of her past.

I made my way determinedly to Loki’s chambers the next morning, hoping he was sober enough (which I expected him to be, as Aesir could process alcohol just as well as they could handle it) to comprehend my displeasure with him. I had been irate upon waking that morning, and made even more irritable at having only gotten a few hours of sleep.

I clenched my fists just thinking about it as I walked, still hearing him say that to me, hearing him shout to half the tavern in his drunkenness that soon he’d have his face between my legs. Feeling his lips on mine, his tongue in my mouth, and how I had nearly choked on the taste, the stink, of the mead he’d nearly drowned himself in.

"If I lived forever, who knows what I would do? I would certainly get better at the piano. I would try to learn how to paint. I think I would try to read all the books I haven’t read. When I was a child, the house was full of books — the walls were lined with bookshelves — and I remember looking up at them once and thinking, ‘I wonder if I’ll ever be able to read all those books?’ and my mother said, ‘It’s all right; you’ve got loads of time.’ But actually we don’t have that much time — I know I won’t. There will be things I’ll miss out on." -TOM HIDDLESTON